Many foreigners ask what type of school a Højskole is. Literally speaking ”Højskole” translates to high school, but it is not the kind of high school you know from other countries. The name comes from a political discussion some 150 years ago, when the first højskole was founded.

For a long time, there had been discussions in the Danish Parliament, how to give the children of farmers and other people living in the rural areas a higher education than just primary school. So there were a lot talk about the high school for peaseants. Had it not been for a man by the name of Grundtvig, the schools would probably have been made only for the improvements of skills in writing, reading, mathematics, geografy and the like. But in Denmark we had Grundtvig.

Grundtvig basically had the idea, that you have to train the whole human in order to make him a better human being and a better citizen who is well equipped to participate in the society around him. So Grundtvig suggested a schoolform which would include subjects as filosofi, democracy, sports, danish culture, history, treatment of illnesses among livestock, how to grow a good crop and more estetic excersises.

One of the frases used about højskoler is ”Not for the school, but for life”. This for instance still means that there is no fixed curriculum and no examinations in the school. The stay at the school is also not part of the official education in the Danish School system (But the schools are recognized and supported by the state.) All you get by attending a højskole is a fabulous time, new skills in subjects and interpersonal communication and a piece of paper stating you have been here.

Grundtvig said, that the things you learned in a højskole, might seem a bit fluffy from the outside, but that the competences you get will add value to the work you do in your professional life and the skills will be missed in the democratic building of society, if højskoler should cease to exist.

Of course the world has changed a lot since the first højskole was founded in 1844, but we still try to create a school for the whole human, with focus on high levels in the subjects, concerts and theater performances, discussions and democratic participation and lectures.

The important thing for us, is to create a safe and informal learning environment where you can develop skills useful in everyday life.